Skagit Valley College

Catalog Course Search Details

This course has been changed from the previous catalog, the changed field(s) are highlighted in red:

 Course Title:   Advanced Newswriting

 Title Abbreviation:   ADVANCED NEWSWRITING

 Department:    JOUR

 Course #:    202

 Credits:    2

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    2

 CIP:    090102

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2018


 Course Description  

This course is designed to enhance newswriting skills as part of a student newspaper by expanding research and interviewing skills into investigative reporting, page editing, and multi-media writing experiences. This course is repeatable up to 6 credits.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: Successful completion of JOUR 101 with a C or better or permission of instructor.

Additional Course Details

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 22

Lab: 0

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0


Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Elective  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Other Institution Equivalencies Table
Institution Course # Remarks
CLARK COLL JOUR 120
EWU JRNM 100
WWU JOURN 214

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Apply ethical principles to newswriting through fact-checking, consistent and proper attribution, and fair and balanced reporting;
  2. Develop and coordinate appropriate news story topics and photos (or other graphics) with a news team;
  3. Enhance interviewing, surveying, and/or online/in-person information-gathering skills to apply to research and content development for news stories;
  4. Cultivate multiple contacts and conduct extensive research in developing a single investigative news report;
  5. Evaluate news stories and select appropriate content for one page of a student newspaper (page-editing) working with the editor;
  6. Appropriately adapt and publish news stories written for print to one or more other media (radio, TV, web, etc.);
  7. Use recognized writing conventions to proofread and revise news stories for flow, style, and completeness;
  8. Manage time effectively by meeting copy deadlines and other due dates.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.1 Determine the extent of information needed.
1.2 Access the needed information effectively, efficiently, ethically, and legally.
1.3 Evaluate information and its sources critically.
1.5 Effectively integrate and use information ethically and legally to accomplish a specific purpose.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.
2.2 Analyze issues and develop questions within a discipline.
2.3 Identify, interpret, and evaluate pertinent data and previous experience to reach conclusions.
2.4 Evaluate decisions by analyzing outcomes and the impact of actions.
2.8 Describe how one’s own preconceptions, biases and values affect one’s response to new and ambiguous situations.
2.9 Apply and/or create problem-solving strategies to successfully adapt to unpredictable and/or changing environments.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.1 Recognize, read, and comprehend academic and/or professional writing.
3.2 Recognize, produce and demonstrate appropriate interpersonal, group, and public speaking skills.
3.3 Demonstrate effective listening skills.
3.4 Produce academic and/or professional writing and integrate it into written and spoken projects.
3.6 Recognize, comprehend, and use visual communication appropriate to a given context.
3.7 Adapt communication to diverse audiences and media.

4. Community & Cultural Diversity

Definition: Recognizing the value of human communities and cultures from multiple perspectives through a critical understanding of their similarities and differences.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
4.2 Understand, value and respect human differences and commonalities as they relate to issues of race, social class, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities and culture.
4.4 Demonstrate effective communication across differences in human communities and cultures.
4.5 Adapt to and function effectively in communities and cultures different from one's own.
4.6 Utilize ethical practice in relation to diverse communities and cultures for the promotion of equity and social justice.

6. Individual Awareness & Responsibility

Definition: Understanding, managing, and taking responsibility for one’s learning and behavior in varied and changing environments.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
6.1 Identify ethical and healthy choices and apply these personally, socially, academically, and professionally.
6.2 Demonstrate standards of professionalism in manner, appearance, and setting appropriate to the context, including the classroom, workplace, and community.
6.3 Apply successful organizational strategies of planning, goal setting, prioritizing, resolving conflict, and managing time to specific goals and/or projects.

7. Aesthetics & Creativity

Definition: Interpreting human experience through engagement with creative processes and aesthetic principles.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
7.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the creative process.
7.2 Demonstrate knowledge of aesthetic principles.
7.3 Use knowledge of creative processes and aesthetic principles to understand humans and the world around them.

9. Scientific Literacy

Definition: Understanding scientific principles, and analyzing and applying scientific information in a variety of contexts.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
9.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the political and ethical issues in science.

10. Technology

Definition: Understanding the role of technology in society and using technology appropriately and effectively.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
10.2 Demonstrate an understanding of legal, ethical, and environmental issues in the use and misuse of technology.
10.3 Use technology appropriate to the context and task to effectively retrieve and manage information, solve problems, and facilitate communication.
10.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of technology in one’s personal and professional life.

Course Contents

  1. Ethics & attribution in news reporting
  2. Advanced news story development
  3. Research & investigative reporting
  4. Multi-media reporting and presentation
  5. Proofing & revising copy
  6. Page editing, layout, & design
  7. Time management & meeting deadlines